Probing Psyche: Mission Overview and Operations Concept

Carol Polanskey Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology

L. T. Elkins-Tanton (ASU), N. Amiri (JPL), S. H. Bairstow (JPL), T. D. Drain (JPL), D. J. Lawrence (JPL), W. Hart (JPL), S. Marchi (SWRI), D. Y. Oh (JPL), R. Oran (MIT), T. H. Prettyman (PSI), C. T. Russell (UCLA), D. A. Seal (JPL), D. Wenkert (JPL), D. Williams (ASU), and the Psyche Team

June 14, 2018 This page contains restrictedCopyright information and 2018. is subject to theAll restrictions rights on the reserved title page of this document.. Government sponsorship acknowledged.J-1 What do we know about (16) Psyche?

Tenth largest asteroid in the Main Belt

Largest M-type asteroid with diameter of 226 km

High radar albedo of 0.37 consistent with iron-nickel

High thermal inertia of ~120 J m-2 S-0.5 K-1

High density – estimates between 4,500 kg/m3 to 6,980 kg/m3

Psyche is likely the stripped core of an early planetesimal

Predecisional information, for planning and discussion only 2 Science Objectives

Objective A: Determine whether Psyche is a core, or if it is unmelted material.

Objective B: Determine the relative ages of Psyche’s surface regions.

Objective C: Determine the global abundances, in portions of Psyche's surface that appear to be a metal phase, of light elements S, K, and Si.

Objective D: Determine whether Psyche was formed under more oxidizing or more reducing conditions than Earth's core.

Objective E: Characterize Psyche’s topography.

Predecisional information, for planning and discussion only 3 Psyche is a massive body with unknown gravity

Dawn

NEAR OSIRIS-REx Psyche

Eros R = 16 km Bennu M = (0.00024)MPsyche R = ~0.25 km M = (0.000000003)MPsyche Psyche R = 113 km

Vesta R = 265 km Psyche Predecisional information, for planning and discussion only M = 9M 4 Psyche’s Payload: Three simple science instruments

Gravity Science Gamma Ray and +Z (MIT/JPL) Neutron Spectrometer +Z +X +Y +Y +X (APL) Magnetometer Sensors UCLA/MIT

3.1m Multispectral Imagers ASU/MSSS

2.4m 2.4 m

Spacecraft chassis built by SSL Avionics, flight software, communications, and fault protection by JPL

Predecisional information, for planning and discussion only Artist's concept of baseline spacecraft configuration 5 Planned interplanetary trajectory

Launch − August 2022

Mars Gravity Assist − May 2023

Capture − January 2026

End of Operations − October 2027

Predecisional information, for planning and discussion only 6 Psyche mission planned science orbits

Predecisional information, for planning and discussion only 7 Orbit A Orbit B Orbit C Orbit D

35 m/pixel 15 m/pixel 9 m/pixel 4 m/pixel

Predecisional information, for planning and discussion only Typical orbit scenario

Predecisional information, for planning and discussion only 9 Psyche: Journey to a Metal World

Unique target body

High heritage instrument suite

Heritage operations concept

=> To observe for the first time, a planetary core

Predecisional information, for planning and discussion only